Page 23 of Sin and Deception

"You know I wouldn't," she reassured me. "But I'll be praying anyway."

"Of course," I chuckled, knowing it was part of her routine. "Mama, I miss them so much it hurts." A sharp pang shot through my heart as I thought about not being able to see my boys every day. They grew so quickly at eighteen months old, and canceling my visit with them tore me apart.

No mother should be without her children, my precious terrors who gave theirYai Yaisuch a hard time.

"Let's switch to a video call so you can talk to them," Mama suggested.

"Yes, please," I eagerly replied as I tapped the buttons on my phone. Her face appeared on my screen within seconds. "There you are."

“Yassou, Nerine,” she greeted me with a wave as if we hadn't been talking just moments ago.

"Hi, Mama,” I said, shaking my head.

I watched her enter her living room, and my two boys appeared. Both were sitting in their play area, happily engaged with their toys.

“Hello, my babies! I’m so happy to see you,” I exclaimed with a smile.

They both looked up, and their faces brightened at the sound of my voice, instantly melting my heart. They were the most beautiful beings in the world, and loving them was like nothing I had ever experienced. They held a special place in my heart that I didn't know was there, and I would do anything for them.

Even if my current circumstance made me feel as if I was walking through hell to protect them from harm, I wouldn’t change it. They were the priority.

The guilt weighing on my conscience from tearing our family apart destroyed parts of my soul, and the fact that they resembled their fathers added to the burden.

"Ma-ma!" Hayes mumbled excitedly, squirming in his seat.

Charis clapped his tiny hands together and reached out toward the camera, his big gray eyes shining joyfully. Tears filled my eyes at the sight of them.

I had named them after their paternal grandmothers, giving Hayes, Xander’s mother, Brenna’s maiden name, and Charis Theo's mother's maiden name.

In terms of appearance, they were a perfect blend of their parents, with Hayes inheriting all of Xander's features except for my blue eyes and Charis resembling a male version of me with Theo's striking gray irises.

"They're growing up so fast, Mama," I said, my voice shaking with emotion. "I feel so guilty for not being there with them."

"Don't you dare hold onto that guilt, Nerine," Mama gently scolded. "You're doing what you need to do to protect them. It's for the best. And I promise, I'm taking good care of them."

"I know, Mama," I sniffled. "I'm just so thankful for your help."

"They will never forget you," she assured me. "I won't let that happen. And it won't be forever. They'll be back in your arms before you know it!"

"You’ve already raised your children, and now you have to raise mine too. I'm so sorry, Mama."

"Nonsense." She waved away my apology. "This isn’t your fault. You must let go of this burden and concentrate on overcoming this tough time. Holding onto guilt won't change anything. You make it sound like you expected thekidnapping or to find out you were pregnant, especially with your unique brand of twins.”

Her words hit me like a wave, washing over me and leaving me relieved and exposed. She was right. I hadn't expected any of this. The pregnancy was a complete shock, although having twins wasn't entirely unexpected, considering it ran in my family. But what truly astonished me was that I had somehow given birth to heteropaternal superfecundation twins, siblings with different fathers.

When my doctor first revealed the truth about their parentage, I nearly fainted. I had fantasized about it as a teenager, falling in love with Xander and Theo and wishing for them to father my children. But I never imagined it could happen.

Not only had I run from the loves of my life, but I also carried within me fraternal twins, each fathered by a different man. My body took part in this rare occurrence, releasing two eggs and enabling my lovers to fertilize one.

DNA testing conducted after birth confirmed what we had suspected all along.

It took me a year and a half to come to terms with all of this, and even now, it still felt surreal. But one thing was certain: I was beyond thrilled to have sons from both Xander and Theo. It was a wild and unexpected turn of events that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

I longed for the comfort of my mother's presence. "I'm lonely, Mama," I confessed. "I want to be there with you. I want to be the one to hold my children when they cry and put them to bed." "Soon," she reassured me. "No, it isn'tpossible," I sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration. "Not with Fiona's book out in the world." The weight of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders.

"I hoped it wouldn't come to that." I heard the disappointment in Mama's words. "But you are doing what is best for everyone. You always do, Nerine. Never doubt when I say I know you sacrifice to put the rest of us first."

"But... I don't know how to fix the mess Fiona created," I admitted. Fear gripped me as I considered the potential danger her actions could bring to my doorstep. "I'm scared."

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